Aldehydes comprise important chemical compounds which are useful for a variety of purposes. One source of various aldehydes comprises alcohols, the aldehydes being prepared by the oxidative dehydrogenation of the corresponding alcohols. When this type of process is employed, the oxidative dehydrogenation has been effected in the presence of catalysts such as silver catalysts, platinum black, etc. The process conditions which have been used to effect this oxidation have been in the range of from about 450.degree. to about 550.degree. C. The by-products which have been obtained from this reaction usually include the corresponding acids, esters, ethers, etc., the amount of said by-products being dependent to some extent upon the operating parameters employed in the reaction. In addition to the oxidative dehydrogenation of the alcohols, other methods of obtaining aldehydes have included the direct oxidation of paraffins, the hydration of alkynes utilized, mercuric sulfate or ferric sulfate catalysts, etc.
As was previously set forth, aldehydes are important articles of commerce as, for example, acetaldehyde which is used in the preparation of acetic acid, acetic anhydride, chloral, as an intermediate for drugs, perfumes, photographic agents, in phenol and urea condensation products, etc. Likewise, propionaldehyde is used in the manufacture of polyvinyl acetals and other types of plastics, in the synthesis of rubber chemicals, as a disinfectant or preservative etc; isovaleraldehyde is used in flavoring compounds, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, synthetic resins, rubber accelerators, etc.
As will hereinafter be shown in greater detail, it has now been discovered that alcohols may be converted to corresponding aldehydes in an oxidation type reaction involving the use of catalytic composition of matter which possesses favorable characteristics of activity, selectivity, stability, etc.